Jessy Delfino's Blog

Haunted Picnic @ NY Marble Cemetery, Dusk Vid Shoot, 

Tell Your Friends Wrap Party, 50 Best Jokes, 

It's been a pretty exciting past couple days around here. I'll try to keep it brief, which, warning, is not something that I do well. 

Monday, June 21st marked my 3rd year participating in Make Music New York which I celebrate by throwing an annual creepy but loveable Haunted Picnic at NY Marble Cemetery. It's located down that black wrought iron gate on 2nd Ave between 2nd and 3rd Sts, which is always closed. Normally reserved for junkies and the dead, we took it over from 3-7 PM. When I got there, there were a crowd of eager beavers waiting outside the gates to be let in, which made me really happy to see. It was a beautiful day, the summer solstice (as much as I try to avoid my hippiedom, it chases me down and hippifies me) and one of my guest's - Isaac Gut's birthday, who reminds me of a young Jackson Browne. All the performers were great - Tibbie X and Desmond, Kyle Thompson, Dr. Steamwhipple, I sang a few songs, we had a lovely drop-in aka Jennifer Blowdryer and the living were very appreciative of our Lady of Perpetual PMS's delicious home made food and being able to enjoy the gorgeous cemetery in picnic form. The music was acoustic only, caretaker Caroline says it's to protect the fragile stones of the cemetery, but I think it's to not wake the dead. 

Attendees watch Dr. Steamwhipple's classical crazy fingers

A sleeping picnic patron

Tibbie X and Desmond

The only scary thing that happened was when I had to pee -- the funeral home next door graciously let me borrow their bathroom, but I couldn't find the light! So I had to pee in the dark at a funeral home. Can anyone say horror movie plot? 

NY Press kind of covered it, but the journalist left before the party really started kickin'. In all fairness, the real party did get started kind of late, in true New York fashion. Parties even get started late in cemeteries in New York. 

The Haunted Picnic was so wonderful, we've decided to possibly do another one on the equinox in September, so keep your earballs out and I'll keep you posted. I believe it falls on Sept. 23rd but I'm not sure. 

Jennifer Blowdrywer

Isaac Gut

Yesterday, a group of my friends and I got together in a beautiful alley not far from my house and filmed the video for "Don't Rape Me", the song I play on a rape whistle. It was really terrific and I couldn't have asked for a better, more rape-y looking / ass kicking cast and crew. The backdrops and actors were so perfect. We smelled pee and tolerated vicious noise pollution to make this video. Here is a sneak peak at what the fruits of our hard work will turn into in the coming weeks. 

The guys in formation for their choreographed dance

After our shooting, we went back to my house and grabbed some food and relaxed for a bit. I then remembered my friends Victor Varnado and Liam McEneaney were having a wrap party for their concert film, "Tell Your Friends" which they shot at the Bell House. Myself and a few close pals dropped into the party, said congrats, had a few drinks (open bar!) and a slice of the amazing cakes that are always baked for Liam's shows. Lots of luck to them with this great new film, I'm sure you'll hear more about it soon. 

Tonight is Cogan / O'Donnell / Li 50 Best Jokes at 92Y. I'm going to be dropping a new piece of work on y'all and so I hope you can make it! It's an awesome show. More details here, get your tix in advance, there's a chance it will sell out cause it's that friggin' good.

TTYL birches.